Process of manufacturing artificial belt or sole leather and like products.



doma n ens raann'r FFICE.

ERNA REIDEL, OF MANNHEIM, GERMANY.

PRUGESS OF MANUFACTURING- ARTIFICIAL BELT 0R SOLE LEATHER AND LIKE PRODUCTS.

No Drawing.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 24, 1912.

Application filed July 17, 1911. Serial No. 639,038.

fl '0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Erma RnmnL, chemist. a citizen of the German Empire, resining at -Mannheim, in the State of Baden. Germany, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Processes of Manufacturing" Artificial Belt or Sole Leather and Like Products, of which the following is a specification. p

This invention relates to an improved process of manufacturing artificiat belt or sole leather or similar products, which over the known products has the advantage that it a perfect substitute for good and elastic leather while its manufacture is very cheap.

The process is put into practice as followsz-iknimal otlals from butchcries such as tendons, sincws and useless intestines are pressed in suitable molds and dried, whereby they remain finely stretched, winch is of importance for the process. Thereupon the dried oti'als mentioned are treated between rollers or in any othersuitable Way, until they are torn into thin fibers. Said animal fibers are then in crosswise fashion combined, by carding, into one fleece, that is they are now mechanically dccomposed and must then inthc further way of the process, be chemically decomposed. For this purpose, the fleece thus prepared is brought into a bath containing a medium which is capable of swelling the animal fibers, for instance light solutions of alkali salts such as sodium sulfid or similar compounds, or inorganic acids such as sulfuric acid, hydrochloric acid or the like, or organic acids such as lactic acid, propionic acid or the like, the fleece being then left in said bath until the si'velling oi the fibers is completed, which lasts about t to 6 hours, or longer, according to the thickncss ot' the fibers or the strength of the swelling medium. This swelling solution or bath may vary from about to 15% according to the density and thickness of the fleece and the length of time it can be left in the solution. Preferably, some long fibers such as oakum, Sisal fiber or the like may be' -arded into the animal fiber fleece, that is the animal fibers may be mixed with tho lone, fibers, for increasing their tensile strcngl The long fibers remain unattacked by the swelling process, or they are, if alkaline solutions are employed, slightly merccrizcd or also slightly crisped. Care must, however, be. taken that the animal fibers are not too much swollen, as they become thereby too gelatinous and lose their durability and tensile strength. rrt'ter removal from the swelling"bnlh, the fleeces are well washed oil with water to remove therefrom the adhering parts of the swelling medium. This being cll'ected, the swollen animal fibers can either at once or in'elcrably by successive pressure be combined with the long fibers into one integral body and exposed to a tannic liquid, until they are perfectly tanned, whereupon they are dried. Before the product is pressed as above mentioned, however, purified blood, globulin, fibrin or like agents, and further a saturated soap solution are inem'poratcd in the product to impart thereto a greater firmness and a certain flexibility respectively. .The blood or other albumins employed may be mixed with dilute salt walcr, soda water, or the like, belore adding to the fleece. By action of the tannic liquid, the blood, globulin and fibrin, as well as the soap solution are fixed. The soap solution can also be added after tanning; and then fixed by metallic salt solutions. It addition to the soap solution, an ei'nulsion of ccresin or parallin may also be used to render the outer surfaces of the material smooth. ljurther, the licccc prepared as aforcnientioned c: .n,---:iiter its mechanical decomposition, without being further chemically decomposed or swollen and after the animal fibers are n'i'ixed with the long fibers,--be saturated with purified blood, golobulin, fibrin or the like, then an agent, as Illtlll'lUHCtl, be added thereto for obtaining a certain flexibility, and the product be pressed and tanned. Also in this case, the agent For obtaining a certain flexibility can be employed al'ier tanning as aforementioned. After drying, the product can be finished like natural belt or sole leather and dyed as desired Claims.

l. A process of producing artificial belt or solo leather and like products which consisls in preparing a fleece of animal fibers in a suitable manner by mechanically decomposim dried tendons, sinews and inbAstincs, lastcning them by long fibers, treating the fleece thus formed in a swelling bath, washing it with water. incorporating therein purified blood, globulin and fibrin,

as well as a soap solution, combining the Whole under successive pressure into a compact body, tanning the product, drying the same and treating it finally With a paraffin emulsion, all for the purpose set forth.

2. A process of producing artificial belt. or sole leather and like products which consists preparing a fleece of animal fibers in a suitable manner by mechanically decomposing dried tendons, sinews and intestines, fastening them by long fibers, incorporating therein purified blood, globulin and'fibrin, as Well as a soap solution, combining the 'WllOlB under successive pressure into a compact body, tanning the product, drying the same and treating it with a para l fin emulsion, all for the purpose set forth.

ipeasee 3. A process of producing artificial belt or sole leather and like products which consists in preparing a fleece of animal fibers in a suitable manner by mechanically decompo-sin" dried tendons, sinews and inin presence of two Witnesses.

ERNA REIDEL vVitnesses i f FRIEDRICH CARL Wnrz'rznn, HERMAN lIOPPlER. 

